The Health and Safety Office of Kumasi Technical University has organized a six-day accident prevention and fire fighting training program from the 30th January through to 23rd February, 2017 for vendors and staff in the University. The program was organized based on recommendations from 2016 accidents, incidents and near misses investigations reports.
It was also done in fulfillment of the Office’s responsibility of educating staff, students, contractors and visitors on hazardous conditions that might put them into danger. The focus of the program was to educate the members of the University community about the causes of accidents in their workplaces and how to use emergency response equipment and systems available to them. The staff were selected from departments, faculties, directorates, institutes and non-academic offices of the University. 187 participants took part in the training program including 164 staff and 23 vendors.
Engineer Philip Ansah a lecturer at the Chemical Engineering deparment was the lead facilitator at the training. The participants were sensitized on the fundamental requirements of health and safety legislations in Ghana and the role of individuals and the management to meet those requirements thus contributing to ensure safety and absence of risk at their work stations in the University. Participants were equally educated on practices that could lead to fire accidents and control measures needed to follow to prevent fires in the University. Participants were led through field exercises for hands-on training on usage of firefighting equipment including the removal of the equipments from the metal hangs mounted on the wall.
Mr. James Osei Brobbey, Deputy Director of Finance of the University, encouraged the Health and Safety Officer to carve workplace health and safety policy for Kumasi Technical University to ensure staff and management commitment to programmes that will ensure health and safety in the institution. Mr. Divine Sekyere Comla, Deputy Director of Works and Physical Development pledged to work with Health and Safety Officer and other stakeholders to procure safety devices such as boots, goggles, gloves, overall clothings, etc. for the staff.
